Daydreams of Blood
by Kaori Himemiya
Summary: Avalon and Jack were so in love, but their love was doomed from the start. Avalon a human & Jack a vampire were never to be. When Jack is burned at the stake Avalon is suddenly turned into a vampire by Jack's twin brother Marcus in a revenge attempt. R&R!
1. 1 The Awakening

It was the blood on her lips that pulled her from her dreams into her waking nightmare of hell itself. She lay on a bed, piles of ashes around her in every direction. It had finally happened. She hadn't been able to protect her family, the people that she loved so dearly. She licked her lips and hissed at herself for it. It was not her own, and the hunger she felt within the pit of her stomach told her who's blood it was.

She'd been changed into a Night Walker, and by the bruises she bared, she understood she must have fought pretty hard. She could smell blood thick in the air mixed with the scent of ash and smoke. When she concentrated on it, she began to choke and she dove under the covers of her blacked bed. She escaped the harsh smells of outside, but she wouldn't be able to stay like that forever. She'd have to get up and leave eventually.

She wondered why no one had come to put out the fire, and why no one had woken her sooner. Her house must have been shielded from view. The view of mortals at least. The thought of never being mortal again hit her hard in that second. For it was the blood of a Night Walker on her lips. She would heal from these bruises slowly, but only because they were acquired while she was still technically human. A wound acquired during the change would be the last of anything a Night Walker healed from at the rate of a human. The mind of the Night Walker was strong and despite her hatred for them, she had to admit that their minds were much more useful than that of a mortal. They could command humans to do most actions. They could make things invisible to the human eye, and they could light things on fire with just a thought, and they could even disappear and reappear in a completely different location. Those were only a few things on a long list of talents they could perform.

She licked her lips and once again a hiss escaped her mouth. She would need to wait till nightfall in order to escape the hell she was in right now. If someone saw her leaving her bed from the middle of a house that had nothing remaining, and no survivors, she was pretty sure they'd do something like burn her at the stake.

_That's what you get for falling in love with a vampire. _Her sister had told her nothing good would come from loving a being of the night. She had been right, like she often was. It wouldn't matter now, because her sister was as dead as the Night Walker she'd fallen in love with. He'd been cast out for falling in love with a human, and when he went back, they'd killed him. She'd been stricken with grief, and turned into what most would refer to as a hermit, for a week before they'd come for her. The Night Walkers that had to take revenge on she who had caused Jack's dead. Jack, the love of her life.

The Night Walker she'd fallen in love with had not only been very kind to her, but powerful in the world that he lived in outside of their relationship. He'd had many fledglings and allies in his world. When he was killed on her account, she'd made a lot of enemies that she didn't need. She'd had one ally in the world of Night Walkers other than her love, and as soon as night fell she'd go to that Night Walker, pleading for help. That single Night Walker was her only hope for survival as one of their kind.

She didn't know how far off night was, but she hoped it would be coming soon. It was getting too hot under the blanket and she didn't know how long she'd be able to stay there. If she uncovered herself and didn't flee quickly though, she'd kill herself with the stench of fire and her fallen comrades. She stretched out, her feet poking out of the end of the blanket.

She was sure she didn't look the greatest either. She was bruised, hadn't brushed her hair, hadn't taken a shower, and was wearing the clothes she had the day before. On top of that, she smelled like a fire, and like rotting meat. She really needed somewhere to go, but she wouldn't be able to count on any of her "friends" helping her out. They'd only liked her when she was glamorous.

She thought for a moment of her mother, brother, sister, father, and uncle that had lived with her. She could smell them all in the air, knowing none escaped the blaze that destroyed her life. Then she thought of something. Who had set her house on fire, and who changed her? No one cared enough to do that, and she didn't remember a thing. She remembered hardly anyone from the Night Walkers her love had shown her pictures of.

_I know you love him, but it's doomed. Coexistence does not exist._ It was her mother that had spoken those words to her. Her mother who was always loving when it came to her family. Her family, the people who studied Night Walkers. Who _had_ studied Night Walkers. It was horrible to think that she could never run into the house with another book to show her mother.

Then something important came back to her. This wasn't her only home. Their books were in a place that only her family knew about. No one that wasn't in her bloodline could get in, let alone burn it down around her if she stayed there. She told herself that she would go there before she went to see that Night Walker that she could ask for help.

It was only a matter of time before someone came looking for her though, so she'd have to be discreet when she left the house. She wasn't sure how she was going to do that, but she'd find a way. There was always a way when she set her mind to it. She'd escape at nightfall.


	2. 2 Finding Hope

Her name was Avalon. She was a researcher for an underground city that recorded the lives of vampires or "Night Walkers." For thousands of years the society had only let their secret out to those being brought into the society. Avalon's family had been very close to the top of the researcher society. Unlike many others, they'd owned their own library with files of almost every vampire living and dead for the past thousand years. Avalon had studied, like her brother and sister, so she could take over the research once her parents died. Although she studied hard Avalon hadn't been the prized daughter of the family, for she had betrayed the society and fell in love with a Night Walker.

Her people hadn't cast her out, but most respect had been lost for her and her family. Now that the family no longer existed, however, they didn't have to worry about Avalon. No one had escaped the fire, so of course Avalon had died as well. No one would investigate what caused the blaze; the debris was cleaned up the night after the fire. It was as if a house had never been there. It was as if the family had never existed in the first place.

…Avalon…

Avalon had escaped into the night, leaving her dead family and burned house in her past. It took her an hour to reach her families library on foot, but when she did she praised the moons for it was safe. The library was in the middle of a cemetery and disguised as a mausoleum. She walked in and down the stairs that led to nowhere but a solid wall. Avalon sighed and knocked on the wall twelve times rhythmically. Something clicked in the ground and she reached down to pull open a trap door. She jumped into it and closed it upon hitting the ground.

She was glad to be in a place that she knew as home. There was a spare room in the back with a bathroom, shower items, and clothes for each member of the family. She looked around at all the bookshelves that spread out in every different direction around her. They all reminded her of time she'd spent walking them with her family. She could remember running between the shelves when she was a child. She shook the thoughts of her childhood away, turned to her left and ran to the back room.

She peeled off her ash and blood covered clothes and ran to the shower. She turned on the water and welcomed the freezing cold beads that fell to her skin. She scrubbed at her hair and body for most of an hour before she turned off the water and stepped out into the cool air surrounding her. She picked a brush up off the sink and stared into the mirror above it.

Avalon had never been an unfortunate girl when it came to anything. She had jet black hair that fell straight down her back, and had misty gray eyes that people described as "captivating", and her skin wasn't pale, but it wasn't dark either, sitting a fine line in between the two. Her personality drew people in, but kept them far enough away that she felt comfortable. She'd been well off with money for most of her life, and had a great education. Up until recently, she'd also had a great boyfriend that she loved dearly, but that's where her luck ended.

"I don't need to think about any of that." Avalon told herself, pulling the brush through her hair and tossing it back onto the sink counter.

She was still hungry, and it was getting to her. The simple fact that she wasn't hungry for human food made her feel sick to her stomach. She turned towards the toilet, bent over it, and stuck a finger down her throat. She dry-heaved until she was certain nothing would come up. She stood straight up and sighed, disappointed that she still felt stick. Avalon walked out into the main room once more and pulled open a lone dresser that stood against a wall. She found a simple outfit of a black button-up shirt that had been her brother's and black slacks that had been her sister's. She pulled on a pair of black boots that had been her brothers. They had steel toes and fit her perfectly.

"I'll never forget you guys. Not ever." Avalon raised her head to look at the ceiling, but spoke to the sky.

She ran back through the library and pulled herself back through the trap door in the ceiling to escape into the night, alone forevermore.

She crossed the cemetery and started her long trek across and out of town that would lead her to the vampire society that no mortal soul ever knew about. Not even the researchers knew about it. It's where her boyfriend had been from, and he'd taken her there only once. That's when she'd met the girl she was going to see now.

The girl owned a café in the human city and a club in the vampire one. No one seemed to notice when Avalon walked into town, but she could tell people were watching her from the beginning. She made her way to the club and was surprised to find a note on the door. It read '**FOLLOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT.**' Avalon didn't hear any music. She narrowed her eyes, kicked the door and fell backwards. When her head hit the ground her world beat red. Music flooded her ears at that moment.

She rubbed her head and stood up. She was confused, but all the same followed the music to the heart of the vampiric city. The heart just happened to be a small wood that grew around a stone statue of the goddess of paradise, Morcherry. Avalon followed the path into the wood and was shocked to find most of the city gathered there, dancing to the music that was coming from people playing on a giant stage surrounding the statue.

Avalon searched the crowd over. She saw the woman that she wanted to talk to standing to the side of the crowd with a smaller band of vampires that were talking instead of dancing. Avalon made her way towards them. She was about five feet from them before they noticed her.

A girl in a flowing black dress pointed at Avalon and narrowed her eyes. Avalon didn't care about the girl though; she cared about the one standing next to her. The woman named Kirima. Kirima gasped when she saw Avalon and told the others to leave them at once. No one argued, glad they had an excuse to get away from the girl that they all hated.

"What are you doing here Avalon? Without Jack here to protect you, you could easily be killed. I'm not sure how you found this place anyway, but we have to get you out of here quickly. Your family will worry if their daughter ends up dead." Kirima lectured.

"You don't have to worry about my family missing me, because they're all dead." Avalon mumbled.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, they are all dead. Our house was burned down around us while we were sleeping."

Kirima gasped again, she truly seemed appalled that something like that could ever happen to anyone. She grabbed Avalon into a hug. A moment later she pulled back and an odd expression plagued her face. She leaned in again and sniffed Avalon.

"You aren't human." Kirima stated.

Avalon chuckled sadly and nodded. She wasn't human and she was hungry. She was so hungry her stomach was burning. She felt like she'd die if she didn't get something to eat soon. But Avalon knew that she wouldn't be eating something, she'd be eating someone. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle that.

Kirima seemed to know what Avalon was thinking and took her arm, "We can't do this here, but I know someone who can help you. Despite what you think, not everyone in the town hates you. The people Jack was closest to know that he loved you to the very end and never regretted a single day with you. We respect that. You have a few allies in this city darling, not many, but a few."

Kirima led Avalon out of the woods and back to the club where Avalon had first tried to find the woman. Kirima tapped on the door with a fingertip and it sprang open instantly. She pulled Avalon inside and sat her down at a bar across the room from the entrance.

"Wait here." Kirima commanded before she disappeared.

A moment later Kirima appeared again with a young man beside her. He couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. Avalon looked confused until the boy began to speak to her. "Hello, you must be Avalon. Jack didn't introduce us before he met his end, but I see that you are every bit as beautiful as he described to me. I hope your personality matches his description as well. If it does, you might just be perfect." The boy concluded with a chuckle. He was a vampire, most likely much older than he seemed.

Kirima led the boy over to stand next to Avalon. He took her wrist and felt for a pulse. He shook his head and looked up at Kirima with doubt in his eyes. Kirima hopped behind the bar and pulled bottles from the shelf. She carefully concocted a drink and set it in front of Avalon. Avalon just stared at it, not sure what to do with it. It was as if she'd never seen a drink before. Kirima motioned for her to drink it.

She looked reluctant, but picked up the beverage and tipped the cool liquid into her mouth. The moment she tasted it she knew it was blood. She had to force herself not to spit it out, but to drink it. Unlike every other time she's tried it, it wasn't that hard to do. It went down smoothly and the pain in her stomach dulled the tiniest bit.

"What was that?" Avalon asked to be sure.

"Well, it was a mix of a lot of things. It was all blood, but you know, not all the same kind. How did it taste?" Kirima asked.

"It tasted horrible, but my stomach liked it I think." Avalon admitted.

"That's good. So you really are a Night Walker as you researchers like to call us." The boy sighed.

Avalon was about to ask who the boy was, when he put out his hand and introduced himself as Edaniel. Avalon shook it and introduced herself as well. She smiled at the boy, completely figuring out that he was much older than he looked to her. He took a seat next to her at the bar and Avalon watched his feet dangle several feet above the ground. She was tall for being fifteen, but she hadn't been that short since she was seven.

"He was turned when he was eleven." Kirima smiled.

"Oh, I wasn't going to ask." Avalon blushed.

"You were wondering about it though. You're eyes are easily read my dear."

"I'm sorry, I've just never heard someone so small talk with such authority before. It scared me a little bit."

Edaniel laughed and asked Kirima for a drink. It wasn't until they all had glass sitting in front of them that someone started talking. Kirima and Edaniel were trying to figure out who would have changed the girl that was sitting in their midst, but never thought to ask her if she had any ideas.

Avalon sat quietly sipping at the metallic tasting liquid that slowly dulled the pain in her stomach. She was wondering if the pain would ever fully go away, or if she'd have to deal with it for the rest of her waking days. Her thoughts wandered back to Jack, her first and only love. Where they'd met, how they'd started to get along, when he showed up at her school asking her to go on a date with him. It was all before she knew he was a vampire. If she'd known how much grief and pain it would bring to both their lives, she would have never agreed to go on a date with him.

"Avalon?" Kirima asked shaking the girl's shoulder.

"What? I'm sorry I missed that." Avalon hadn't been paying attention, so she hadn't realized they'd asked her a question.

"We asked it you knew who did this all to you. We can't figure it out." Edaniel repeated.

"I don't remember anything. All I know is that when I woke up, I had blood on my lips. That and my bed and I were the only things to escape the fire that killed the rest of my family and tore my life to shreds." Avalon explained with a pained expression haunting her face.

"Arson, I know who it is now. Only one person would do something like that. You should know too Avalon, since you're supposed to be a researcher." Kirima sighed.

"I was never the child they wanted. I did after all date a Night Walker. No one was ever able to let that go, so I never had a lesson after that day. Everything had gone to the back of my mind about the studies I used to do." Avalon told them.

"Does the name Marcus mean anything to you?" Edaniel asked.

"You mean Jack's brother? He didn't really like me, but he didn't hate me either. That's what Jack told me." Avalon remembered.

"Well, maybe he didn't hate you when Jack was alive, but since it was technically your fault he was executed, that couldn't have strengthened his feelings for you. When he changes someone, he burns down the building they're in and leaves them there. If they are strong enough, even in sleep their bodies will put up a shield around them to protect them from danger. If they aren't strong enough, they die in the blaze too." Kirima explained.

Avalon thought about it, and memories of her sister tutoring her flashed in her mind. She sort of remembered something about a vampire who liked to do that, but she didn't think it was Marcus. Who else could it be though? He would, of course, be the only one to care that much, considering Jack was his brother in life and death. Why would he change her though? Shouldn't he have just killed her instead? If someone had touched her family members, they'd be dead.

It hit her them, harder than it had all the other times. She was going to have to avenge their deaths no matter what it took. If they were sure who had killed them, she wouldn't hesitate when she saw Marcus. She thought about hunting him down and killing him as he slept. It was tempting.

"Don't try anything. In the state you're in right now, you'd be lucky to kill a fly." Edaniel laughed.

"Don't be mean. Listen, I can see by the bruises and feel the aura around you. Once you feed to kill, you'll be stronger than a lot of vampires here. Until then though, you have to be careful. I can tell by your mindset that you don't want to kill a human, but let me tell you something important. That pain that you feel in your stomach won't go away until you feed to kill. It will be dulled, but it will grow again. You can't fight it off forever, I know, because about three hundred years ago, I tried." Kirima clarified.

Avalon could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't kidding. How could she take a human life though? She didn't think she'd be able to kill an innocent person. It just wasn't something that she was capable of. She could think of so many innocent people that she'd seen who'd been tortured by vampires till they went insane. It wasn't a sight you forgot easily. It made her feel nauseous just thinking about it. She wished she knew where a bathroom was in the bar.

"No one said you had to kill an innocent person. You just have to kill _someone_. I know it may seem farfetched to think about, but not everyone is innocent. All those people that were mean to you after you fell in love with Jack aren't innocent. I know, Jack told me that you were taunted by the other kids at school so much that you cried and skipped whole days of classes because of them." Kirima sighed, memories of Jack slipping from her mind.

Avalon thought about it. No, they weren't innocent. They'd beat her up and made her cry so many times. She's lost count after a while. It had stopped mattering to her though, because Jack would find her and make her feel better every time. It mattered now though, because Jack was dead, and she was "dead" and she was sure no one was going to care about it. She knew she could kill one of them. Her "friends" had even stopped talking to her for the most part. They'd certainly never helped her when the other kids were mean. The girls she'd called "friends" even bullied and beat her up themselves.

"I know you can see it. You can do it. For now though, you need to sleep, so tomorrow you can pick your victim. You've had enough blood to partially numb the pain. I'm sure you can stand it right now. So Edaniel will show you to the rooms in the basement. Take whatever one you like." Kirima motioned towards the stairs beside the entrance behind them.

Edaniel stood and took Avalon's hand, leading her out of the bar and down into the darkness that matched the kind that had already started to consume her soul.

**A/N:** Please R&R! I know it's annoying to do, but it'd help me guage how people like me story so far.


	3. 3 End Your Life

Avalon had looked at all the rooms, hoping she'd find one with a window. She had no such luck. She flipped on the light in the last room at the end of the hallway. Edaniel walked inside with her and closed the door. She sat down on the bed and looked around. It looked like a regular bedroom, except with all artificial lighting in it. Avalon hadn't expected windows, but she hadn't expected it to feel like a cage either. She felt like Kirima's new pet, put in a kennel for the night.

"So do you like it?" Edaniel asked.

"Yeah, it's great! Almost like my old room at my old house." Avalon smiled sadly.

"That's good; I'll let you sleep then. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." Edaniel could on get his hand on the door handle before Avalon was across the room holding his arm.

"I want to ask you something. When Kirima was bringing me over here, she told me you could help me. What did she mean by that?" Avalon questioned, dropping the boy's hand.

"She meant help you survive. First thing tomorrow we're going to go to your school and clean out your locker, and while we're there, we'll pick your target. By target I mean the first person you want to drink from. Even if they had evidence, you can't arrest someone you can't find. By that I mean you'll only be here and Kirima's café. Both are protect by strong magical barriers. Humans can enter the café, but they won't be able to see you as someone they've know. You'll be like a familiar stranger," Edaniel explained.

"So, I have to go to school tomorrow? I mean, wouldn't they have already cleaned out my locker?"

"Probably not, considering your school has more students than any other school in the city. They have better things to do than clean out a dead student's locker first thing."

"How are we going to get there?"

"I like walking more than what I like to call "the cheaters way" by appearing there. So be prepared for a long trek once you wake up! I'll be waiting for you upstairs in the morning."

With those parting words, Edaniel left, closing the door silently behind him.

Avalon opened her eyes to darkness. She didn't remember turning off the light before she went to sleep, but apparently someone had. It didn't matter though, because soon her eyes adjusted to the lighting, or lack there of. She saw an outfit hanging on a rack across the room. She didn't remember the rack either, but she saw no point in arguing with clean clothes.

After she'd changed into a tight fitting black t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, and knee-high steel-toed boots, she pulled her fingers through her hair and sighed into the silent darkness. She pulled open the door and light flooded the room, temporarily obscuring her vision. The hallway was bright compared to her pitch black room and it took her a moment of confusion to get her balance and mind back on track. She walked up the stairs leading to the bar, and like the night before, it was basically empty. The only soul in the room other than herself was Edaniel drinking a deep red liquid.

"Good morning, Miss Avalon," Edaniel greeted without turning around.

Avalon took the seat next to him and put her head in her hands. She wasn't sure how she looked, but she knew the pain in her stomach was back now, and worse than ever. She gritted her teeth and hoped for some miracle. Edaniel slid a drink in her direction; she caught it with ease. She stared at it for a moment before guzzling the coppery liquid. It didn't taste as bad today, and it certainly dulled the pain in her stomach.

Edaniel set two flasks in front of the girl and stood from his barstool, "I'll carry one, but drink as you walk. Your stomach will take that for now."

"Where's Kirima?" Avalon asked, just noticing the woman's absence.

"She runs a café in your city during the day," Edaniel replied pulling Avalon off her seat. "Let us go."

Avalon picked up one of the flasks to put it in the wide back pocket of her jeans. She pulled her shirt down over it and headed for the door, Edaniel not far behind. They headed out into the sunlight; Avalon shielded her eyes from it, her senses again being knocked off kilter.

"Surprised? The sun does shine here. Despite what people think, vampires can stand to be in the sunlight for long periods of time. It's uncomfortable, but it's the same for humans, or so I've been led to believe," Edaniel said as he smiled.

Their walk didn't seem to take long at all. The whole time Avalon sipped from her flask of blood, welcoming the numbing sensation that came to her stomach. Before they were even half way to her school, she'd finished the blood. Edaniel strolled merrily beside her, like a little boy wishing his sister would let him run off to play.

"Don't you think they'll be a little freaked out t o see a dead girl and a little boy waltzing into a high school like they own the place? I'd be kind of scared of something like that. They might think we want to shoot them or something. Can you imagine that?" Avalon made a gun with her fingers and pretended to shoot the people they passed.

The walk took them past where Avalon's house had once stood. On the sidewalk in front of the property, Avalon fell to her knees. Nothing was left. It was as if there had never been a house there, only an empty lot. Edanielstared at her in confusion. He didn't get why tears were hitting the ground in front of her.

"They really don't care, do they? I bet they didn't even set up a funeral. I bet they aren't going to! It's entirely my fault. Everyone liked us until I dated Jack. I was so stupid," Avalon sobbed, lying on the ground.

"This is where your house used to stand, isn't it," Edaniel realized making it a statement instead of a question.

"I was so stupid. I should never have dated Jack!"

"Listen to me Avalon, if Jack meant that little to you, I'll leave now and you can do things on your own."

"You don't understand! He meant everything to me, but so did my family; and people hated them because they wouldn't cast me out in Jack's name. I was stupid for not leaving. I should have left so they could live in peace with everyone else. Then they wouldn't be dead and they wouldn't have been friendless."

Avalon stood up, wiping the tears from her face. She grabbed Edaniel's hand and pulled him away from the plot of empty land. Edaniel didn't take his hand from hers even after they were far from her house. He knew that she needed something to hold on to now that her family was gone, and he'd just have to be that "something" for the moment.

They neared Avalon's school, and she dropped Edaniel's hand. She turned to look at him.

"Do I look okay to you?" she asked.

"You look as beautiful as you looked last night," Edaniel grinned.

That grin got Avalon to the door of her school and inside. It was lunch time and students were roaming the halls. Avalon and Edaniel stuck out from the uniform wearing students that walked around them. They heard whispers as they passed everyone. With their hearing, everything was amplified as if the people were talking in normal voices.

"You were popular here, weren't you? Everyone seems to know your name," Edaniel noted.

"Yeah, I didn't have any enemies, and everyone knew who I was. I sort of missed that after I started dating Jack, but he always made it better in the end. I always picked him over them when it came right down to it," Avalon sighed.

She neared her locker. Her friends' lockers all surrounded hers. It had been a ritual to sit at their lockers as they ate lunch, and they carried it on without her. She saw them eating and laughing like they didn't have a care in the world. Avalon clenched her fists at her sides. Edaniel took her hand and smiled up at her.

She walked right through the middle of her old friends and put in the combination to her lock. She smiled when it opened and remains of her happiness stared back at her. Pictures of Jack were tacked to every open space. Edaniel smiled behind her and nodded his approval, even though Avalon wasn't paying him any attention.

"You really loved Jack didn't you?" Edaniel asked.

"With all my heart," Avalon smiled, carefully taking down all the pictures.

Her friends just stared at her in shock. They didn't know what was going on. They had been told Avalon was dead. There was no way to react when someone you thought was dead just shows up like nothing ever happened. They turned to Edaniel with confusion, for they didn't know who he was at all.

"Hurry, we have to get back to Kirima. She wants us to be there before one. We can take that back to the bar first. Kirima will be happy to know you loved him so much. Before, he was cold and distant. He was like a whole new person after you two were together," Edaniel explained.

Realization clicked in the girl's heads. Their friend was a vampire, and so was the little boy. They all scooted away as slowly as they could manage. Avalon carefully placed the pictures in a small bag and pulled out her favorite jacket. Those and a couple of books that she'd thrown into the bag were all she wanted. She kicked the locker closed and turned to grin at Edaniel.

"Do we really have to walk that long way again? Can't we just, you know?" Avalon begged.

"You want to do it for affect don't you?" Edaniel asked staring at the fear-struck girls.

"Yeah, kind of. And I want to know what it's like."

"Fine," he sighed, giving in.

Edaniel grabbed Avalon's hand and waved at the cowering girls before disappearing in thin air.


	4. 4 It's Killing Time

Avalon fell backwards and cursed as the cement hit her head, hard. She looked up at Edaniel who was smiling down at her. She sat up and rubbed her head, cursing at herself for losing her footing. Edaniel grabbed her hand and tugged Avalon to her feet. It almost sent her flying the other direction, but Edaniel caught her around the waist to center her.

"Did you pick a girl?" Edaniel asked, arms resting around Avalon's waist.

She smiled down at the boy. To her he was just a little brother hugging her, taking the place of the brother she lost. It took her a moment to respond to his question, "I didn't really think about it. I know who though. She was my old best friend. When I started dating Jack, she got me kicked out of the clubs I was part of, she kicked me off the lunch table, and she'd yell at me hitting all my weaknesses while everyone watched. She was a horrible girl. I don't know why I ever liked her. Jack told me that I wanted security, she was someone who was in the same society and she had been nice to me. So I jumped at the chance of having a friend. I never argued with Jack, he was right."

"That won't be obvious at all, will it? You really want to go out of your world and step into ours with a bang don't you? To tell you the truth, the more they struggle, the stronger you get in the process. So if you think she'll struggle enough, I'll help you with it." Edaniel smiled.

Avalon didn't like the sound of that; her old friend struggling under her while she slowly killed her. It didn't seem as appetizing as it had before. She looked into Edaniel's playful eyes and saw a killer for the first time since she'd met him. He would enjoy watching it.

"I thought it worked the other way around."

"No, not when you're feeding to kill. If you feed and change them, how hard the prey struggles determines how strong they'll be. When you feed to kill, it's different. How hard they struggle makes you stronger."

"I don't know if I can handle that Edaniel."

"I can see it in your face. It runs through the back of your mind too. You can kill, and enjoy it as you do it. All you need to do is bring that fleeting thought to a front in your mind."

Edaniel dropped his hands into hers and pulled her towards the building that was in front of them. Avalon hadn't noticed it, but they weren't in the school anymore. She knew the appearing trick brought you to the location you wished; it just caught her off guard. It surprised her for a moment. Edaniel opened the door to the café and they walked into a world different from the one they'd just stepped out of.

The walls were a faded pink that almost seemed white. There were many different borders circling the room, paintings of animals and faeries dancing together on the wall. Avalon smiled. There were tiny tables fit for two or three people only scattered through-out the room. At the back, a counter separated the dining area from the bakery. Kirima was lounging on top of the counter talking to a girl with curly blonde hair. From behind it made her look like Goldie-Locks. Avalon giggled to herself.

This brought attention to the couple who walked in the door. There were few people seated in the café, but they all turned, in unison, to stare at Edaniel and Avalon. Edaniel grinned back at them and pulled the girl through the tables and to the women at the counter. Edaniel hopped up next to Kirima and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Stop acting like a little kid. I know you enjoy it, but it sickens me. You're older than I am." Kirima sighed.

Avalon stared at the little boy in front of her. It was hard to believe that someone so small could be so old. If Kirima was at least 300 years old, how old would that make Edaniel. She'd only studied the histories of places vampires liked to dwell, and the kind of people they targeted. Her brother was the one that memorized names, ages, and faces so he could hunt them down and do his best to get an interview without getting himself killed. Thinking of her brother brought pain to her mind, and it must have showed on her face, because Kirima reached out and pulled Avalon into a hug.

"Listen, babe, don't think about sad things. Oh, but Edaniel and you need to hear some news. Since you will be staying with me I'm assuming for a while, you're going to have to learn to be useful. That's a totally different story, but it's true. It was bugging me and I just had to get it out of the way. The news that I really need to tell you is you can't come back to the club tonight." Kirima explained.

Avalon looked confused, "Why is that?"

"Someone is going to be there. Someone is going to be there who might want to snap you in half."

Edaniel sighed, "Why is Marcus going to be at the club? He hates it there. He didn't bother to mask his distaste for Jack being there."

"I think it's because he expects our little Avalon to be there."

"You know, I've never met you Avalon, but Jack liked you a lot." The unidentified girl smiled putting out her hand.

"Oh, Mercedes this is Avalon; Avalon this is Mercedes." Kirima smiled.

Avalon reached out to shake the girl's hand. Mercedes smiled at the girl. She looked simpler than the other two in the room. She looked like a human, someone you'd see anywhere. Blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect skin, and a well curved body. There was something about her though, that just told she wasn't human and that if you mistook her for one you wouldn't live very long after that. Avalon smiled warmly at the girl.

"So is it true, did you really love Jack as much as he thought?" Mercedes asked, still holding Avalon's hand in a firm grip.

Avalon's mind returned to memories of happiness before it turned to the dark days that ended it all, "Yeah, I did love him. I loved him more than he could have ever thought possible."

"Enough of this sappy memory crap. Mercedes you're going to make the girl cry or something. Listen, would one of you mind taking her in for the night? I mean, it'll only be one night." Kirima looked between the two vampires.

Edaniel jumped at the chance, "Of course she can stay with me! We have business to attend to anyway. After that business, we might swing by though. Don't give me that look Kirima; you know nothing bad will happen if I'm around."

"I _don't_ know that actually. Marcus has a respect for you, but I don't know if he'd keep Avalon alive because of that. She did kill his brother." Kirima reminded them.

Mercedes smacked Kirima in the leg, "She didn't kill him! Plus, you just told me not to make her cry and look what you've gone and done!"

Kirima and Edaniel looked over at Avalon. Tears were streaming down her face. Kirima reached for her, but Avalon was too quick. She backed up and turned to run out of the café. The customers stared after her as she exited. No one had ever actually pointed the blame in her direction till that moment. She felt like her heart had been ripped out and eaten as she died watching it happen. She never wanted that feeling again.

Edaniel was holding her waist in a second, and then it all went black.

Edaniel stared out the window of the second story of his house on the edge of the vampiric town. Avalon lay behind him on a queen-sized bed, veiled in black lace. It had been hours since he'd put her to sleep, and he was wondering if she'd ever wake up. His mind wasn't powerful enough to keep someone down for very long. At least it wasn't that strong when he wasn't trying.

"…and when you think about it, we all die for a cause no one really believes in." He sighed, quoting Jack the day he'd died.

A hushed voice from behind startled him. "He told you that too?"

Edaniel turned around to stare at Avalon. Her hair was sticking out in different directions and her eyes were half closed. She was still half asleep. Edaniel chuckled and picked a brush up off the dresser next to him and tossed it to her. She sighed and ripped the brush through her hair, taking all the tangles out in seconds. She threw the brush to Edaniel, who sat it down on the dresser again before cross the room to her.

"You've been asleep for a long time. It's dark outside now. We have to move quickly." Edaniel pulled Avalon from the sea of blankets and pillows that surrounded her.

Avalon was confused, "Where are we going to?"

Edaniel looked Avalon up and down. She looked fine. His maid had put her in a silky black gown to sleep, but it looked like it would be presentable in public. He smiled at the confused girl. She hadn't remembered the conversation from the café. That was just as well, he didn't need her crying again. It had made him feel horrible to see her cry like she had. He hugged her tight and stared up into her face before grinning.

Avalon suddenly felt dizzy and if it weren't for Edaniel, she would have fallen backwards. She put a hand to her head and steadied herself. She them realized what had given her the feeling. They weren't in the bedroom they had been a second ago, but in a bright pink room that seemed all too familiar. Across the room, on a little bed, slept a girl that Avalon knew all too well.

Avalon started to move forward only to be held fast by Edaniel. His voice was loud, but silent at the same time as he spoke to her. It was loud enough for her to hear perfectly, but she figured that was as far as it went. It wouldn't carry across the room to the sleeping girl. "You have to be swift about this. Wake her gently and wait for her to realize. You may not be a very strong vampire yet, but you are stronger than a human. I want you to make her scream and struggle. Don't look at me like that; you know what I'm talking about. I'll be down the hall taking care of her parents. Don't let me down."

With those words the small boy was gone. At that moment he had seemed less like a little brother, and more like the monster that society portrayed Night Walkers to be. Avalon crept across the room and sat on the side of the girl's bed. She reached out reluctantly and touched the girl's arm.

"Wake up, Heather." Avalon whispered to the girl sweetly.

She ran her fingers down the girl's arm. When the she didn't even stir, Avalon shook her for a moment. That did the trick. Heather opened her eyes and looked at Avalon. Her drowsy eyes turned wide at the sight of her old friend. She sat up in her bed and cowered near her headboard.

"Hello, remember me?" Avalon asked, her words laced with venom.

"You're supposed to be dead! Why are you here?" Heather squeaked.

"I'm not dead. You know, when your boyfriend has a powerful brother and you just happen to be the cause of his death, that brother just tends to hold a grudge. He turned me in my sleep and burned the house down around my family in the middle of the night. As a newborn vampire, even in my sleep, instinct told me to shield myself from danger. My body put up a shield and I was the only survivor of the blaze. I thought the society would find it weird that my bed was the only thing unburned. I guess no one cared enough to investigate though." Avalon spit.

"Avalon, please don't hurt me."

"Don't worry about that right now. I just want to talk. Talk to me about why it was so horrible that I went out with someone that I loved with all my heart. Tell me the reason why you destroyed my life. I've been wondering that for a little while now. Jack is dead, you have no one to fear coming after you!"

"Avalon, I didn't mean to do anything to you. I swear I didn't. I wanted to be your friend, but it didn't turn out that way."

"You liar!"

Avalon was furious. The yell she'd let out scared the girl. Her pulse quickened and Avalon could hear it above all else. She wanted this girl's blood. Not just because it would make her stronger, but because Heather had made her life a living hell and lied about it trying to save herself. Avalon reached out slowly. The girl shrank back as far as she could manage.

Avalon grinned and instinct took over. She was upon the girl instantly. Heather pounded on Avalon's chest and tried to scratch at her, to no avail. Avalon laughed at the girl she held in her grasp. She was crying now, and that only made Avalon laugh a little more. She gripped the girl's wrists and sat on her torso to keep her still. She moved Heather's hair to the side and leaned in close. Heather shrieked, fighting for her life.

"Shhh… don't make such a fuss Heather. We all die eventually for a cause no one really believes in."

Using the words of her late lover, Avalon leaned in and sank her teeth into the flesh just above Heather's chest. Heather screamed and thrust her chest forward, back arched above her mattress. She kicked her legs and tried to use her arms. It only made it hurt more. Avalon could feel it when Edaniel entered the room, a smile on his face as he watched Avalon work.

It didn't take her long to kill the girl. And when she was done, she stood up and wiped away the tiny line of blood that had slid down the girl's chest. Edaniel grinned at his friend. She was a work of art. Avalon didn't feel the dizziness when they appeared in front of Kirima's club. The only thing she could focus on was the taste of blood so strong in her mouth. It didn't taste bad like she'd been hoping it would.

"I finally get what Jack meant. Heather and I never really went by the rules of the society, but when it came down to it and she shunned me because of our upbringing, it's the society that was her downfall. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it does to me." Avalon sighed, deep in thought.

"Avalon, welcome to the world of Night Walkers. I know it may seem a little violent, but step into the club and forget your worries." Edaniel wrapped an arm around Avalon's waist, ignoring her words of wisdom.

"Or confront them. Marcus is supposed to be here." Avalon reminded him.

Edaniel didn't say anything else. He kicked the door and it swung open. Music blared out at them. Avalon could seem people grinding against each other. Others were exchanging blood. With Edaniel's arm around her waist, a line was easily cut through the people moving from his way. Avalon could feel the glares on her back as she walked.

They made it to the counter and Edaniel easily flipped over it. He motioned for Avalon to do the same. She lifted herself and tossed herself across the counter. Before her feet could hit the flood, someone grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backwards. She landed on her back on the floor staring up at a face that was strikingly similar to Jack's. Marcus had located her.

**A/N:** Please tell me what you think! REVIEWS make the world go round you know! If you find problems with it, please tell me. If you just love it, you should tell me that too! Thanks for reading!


	5. 5 New Lifestyle

Avalon stared up into the face of an angel. Too bad the owner of the face wasn't so sweet. Edaniel was over her in a second, standing between Avalon and her attacker. Marcus, Jack's mirror image, was her worst enemy. Most of the vampires hated Avalon, but none like Marcus. Avalon understood why he hated her so much; she'd been the whole reason he would never see his brother again. That only gave him the right to kill her, not to turn her into a beast and _then_ kill her. She got to her feet and stood behind Edaniel.

"Marcus, just leave the girl alone. At least wait until she isn't here," Edaniel stated, arms crossed over his chest.

Despite his size, Edaniel looked and sounded menacing. Avalon looked around them. The music hadn't stopped, but it might as well have. Everyone had turned to stare as the scene unfolded in front of them. She knew a lot of them hoped that Marcus would kill Avalon right there, but then Marcus would be struck down by Edaniel.

"She is rightfully mine to kill, Edaniel," Marcus snapped.

"She was, but you lost your chance and now it isn't your choice. You should have killed her, but you toyed with her instead by killing her family and turning her into one of us. Isn't that punishment enough for the sins she has committed against you?" Edaniel asked.

"She should have to suffer being burned at the stake, just like Jack! Even that wouldn't be enough to clear her name. I'd find her in the underworld and torture her for eternity!" Marcus bellowed.

Avalon shrank back from the man. Kirima reached across the counter and pulled Avalon over with strong arms. Marcus' eyes followed her closely, but he didn't dare pull his attention away from Edaniel. Kirima pushed Avalon to the floor next to her and tapped on a door in the ground with her foot. Kirima glared at Marcus, giving nothing away.

Avalon took the hint and pulled the door open. She lowered herself into total darkness. Soon her vision came to her and she realized she was in a bedroom. She saw posters and knives sticking out of the walls, but didn't bother to see what Kirima hated enough to stab with knives. There was no door but the one she'd just come through. She didn't even look for a light switch, just sat down on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest.

_Don't be scared of people. Be scared of what their intentions are. _

Her father had told her this one when she was still taking lessons. He'd tried to stomp fear out of her with such sentences. It had never worked. She was always the only one in the family who never took risks. She took precautions. When she'd met Jack, that was the day she stopped being cautious. She didn't need to be anymore. Jack was always there to protect her from the bad things in life.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice when someone opened the door above her head and swung in gracefully. Only when he shook her did Avalon realize that Edaniel crouched in front of her. She hustled to her feet and stared at the floor. He explained about how Marcus had left, but he wasn't going to give up trying to kill her. Avalon sighed and was grateful when Edaniel helped her pull herself back up to the main floor.

"Whose room is that?" Avalon asked.

"It's mine. I don't use the same rooms as the guests do. That reminds me, if you want to stay here tonight you can. Marcus isn't going to come back again. It isn't his style to be humiliated by someone half his size twice in one night," Kirima laughed.

"Or, you can still stay with me! I'd love to have you over," Edaniel chirped from beside her.

Avalon hadn't noticed Mercedes walk up, but sure enough she joined into the conversation.

"Even though Marcus isn't stupid enough to come here twice in one night, couldn't he just have someone else come and do his dirty work for him? He's done it before. So, the safest place would probably be with Edaniel."

Avalon just nodded. She knew that if she didn't talk, they'd just decide on their own. She didn't feel like conversing at the moment. She was glad she'd made the throbbing pain in her stomach disappear, but being hunted by her ex-lover's brother had dulled the feeling of joy she'd had after she'd killed Heather.

"Avalon? Can't you hear us?"

Avalon shook her head and looked at the people surrounding her.

"What?"

"You're going to be staying with Edaniel for a little while. I know I only said one night, but a week or so might be safer. Are you okay with that?" Kirima asked, concern filling her eyes.

Avalon just nodded her head. Kirima smiled and gave her a hug before Avalon realized she was in front of a giant house. It looked to be only two stories, but it stretched a great distance. She was confused until Edaniel stepped in front of her and waved his hand at the property.

"This is my home. I'll show you to your room. It's the one you were staying in before we left to quench your thirst," Edaniel smiled.

Avalon followed the small boy into the house and her mouth dropped open at the sight she saw. If she'd ever seem something elegant, it didn't compare to this house. The main entrance connected to the grand staircase and just before it were two rooms leading off to the sides. The walls were painted black with white swirling designs bringing life to what would otherwise seem dead. On the ceiling four chandeliers connected to a larger one in the middle of the room. They were made out of black tinted glass with brightly lit white lights.

"You seem surprised," Edaniel grinned at Avalon.

"It just doesn't seem like a house fit for a child," Avalon breathed.

"You have to remember, I'm not really a child. I've had 900 years to acquire my tastes."

"So that's how old you are."

"917 to be exact."

Avalon was about to speak but was silenced by the sight of a woman at the top of the stairs. She'd seen the girl somewhere else, but she wasn't sure from where. The woman glided down the stairs and up to Edaniel. She bowed to Edaniel and took his hand to kiss it.

"Avalon, this is Bell; Bell, I'd like you to meet Avalon."

Edaniel took his hand back and slid his arm around Avalon's waist.

"I know where I've seen you before! You're revolutionary model Bell Blackheart," Avalon gasped.

Bell didn't seem to care that Avalon existed.

"Edaniel, what is this girl doing here? She isn't one of us."

"Of course she is. Avalon, you aren't the only one staying in my home. There are a few others you will probably meet before your stay is over. Don't feel alarmed though, because if they know what's good for them they won't touch you," Edaniel smirked.

Edaniel stayed with Avalon for a long while, watching her drift off into a peaceful sleep. He smiled at the face the girl made, carefree in dreamland. Jack had been right to choose this girl for the one he loved. She wasn't meant to be human in the first place. Behind her human habits lurked the blood lust and fury of a vampire.

"What really made you choose her Jack? If I'd met her before she was like this, I probably wouldn't have given her a second glance," Edaniel whispered to himself.

She looked small and fragile in the middle of the queen sized bed. Edaniel felt the urge to climb in next to her and curl up in the warmth that radiated off of her even in the death that she'd been served. He shook off the feeling and quietly exited the room with a last glance in her direction. If he weren't a child, he'd make a move on her, but the way he was, it would never work.

Avalon woke early in the morning and stretched herself. An armoire faced her on the other side of the room. As she suspected, when she opened it beautiful, expensive clothes stared back at her. Out of all the things that she found, nothing seemed to fit what she wore on a regular basis. She picked out a simple black dress with slits crossing down her back and cutting up her thighs. She sighed and wondered what she would do.

"I want to go back to my library," she sighed.

Could she get out of the house without being seen though? She glanced over at the large window that took up half one of the walls to her room. She crossed to it and without much difficulty pulled it open. She looked out and down at the ground. It was still fairly dark out, and she hoped everyone would still be asleep. She jumped through the window and breathed a sigh of relief as she landed gracefully on the ground. He dress fluttered in the wind behind her as she ran from the property.

Going through the town she was surprised to see how many Night Walkers were up at this hour. They all turned to look at her. She didn't care as much anymore. They could all hate her if they wanted. If they wanted to fight her, let them. She could feel the muscle she had developed beneath her skin and the power she now held inside.

"Why am I walking then?" she asked herself.

She laughed at herself. She'd forgotten she could do everything the others could do. She wasn't sure if she could be precise, but she'd try it. She closed her eyes and thought of the mausoleum where she'd spent many afternoons studying for the researcher society. She didn't feel anything and let out a sigh. She opened her eyes in defeat. She squealed. She was inside the mausoleum. She tripped over her own feet and barely kept herself from falling down the stairs she stood at the top of.

Once she'd lowered herself through the door in the ground, she sighed and sat down on the floor. She smelled the air around her. It held the scent of aged books and papers. There was an overwhelming sorrow that was trying to consume her as she thought about all the times she'd shared with her family in this sanctuary.

"Don't worry. I'll never leave this place; it'll always be my home when I have none. I love you guys."

With that last statement, she felt herself fall apart.

She felt tears stream down herself as she collapsed into a pile of sobs on the cold floor. She screamed into the carpet. She was angry at herself for falling apart, but she couldn't pull it together. It was so horrible to think about. She could still smell their blood in the air mixed with the heavy remains of the fire that had led to their end. Even though no fire had happened there, it would always haunt the place.

Avalon wondered if they'd ever seen it coming, because she hadn't. She didn't even remember it happening. She knew she still had bruises and cuts to show for it, but she just couldn't remember anything other than going to sleep and waking up the next morning with her life changed forever.

She sat up and wiped her face on her hands. She stood up and dusted off the dress hoping she hadn't gotten it too dirty. She started walking around the shelves staring at all the dusty unused books that her family had mostly abandoned after she'd begun her relationship with Jack. She never got why her whole family stopped their study when it was only her who had deserved to be cast away.

Avalon pulled a book from the shelf. It was one she knew very well. She'd read it fifty-two times since she'd met Jack. She flipped to her favorite page and engrossed herself in reading. It was the only page about to fall out of the book because it had been read so many times.

_'Name: Jack Lucas_

_Age: 643 years_

_Place of origin: London, England_

_Date of Birth: unknown_

_Jack Lucas has an odd affinity for fire. Lights the house of his victims on fire and leaves them to fend for themselves. Despises humans with his whole being. Travels only with his brother Marcus, the more docile of the two. His whereabouts for 300 years were unknown till he killed a researcher in London, England. This killing started a string of slaughters across the city. In 1752 his location was lost and he wasn't located again till the year 1964. Now, in the year 1986 he resides in the city of Los Angeles, California.'_

"This book is clearly outdated. He hadn't lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years," Avalon smiled to herself.

On the page next to this description, was a picture of Jack. When he died he'd looked exactly the same. His hair too long to be normal, his skin to tan to be a vampire, his teeth so white they were blinding. Avalon smiled at his portrait.

She flipped the page and glared at what she saw. It was the description of Marcus Lucas, Jack's brother. The description was a mirror of Jack's but with a different name and different locations. His picture was the same though. She wondered which one was the fake. When she had first met Marcus, she had mistaken him for Jack. She laughed at her mistake then, but now she felt like it was a mistake that she should never have made.

"If I loved you as much as I thought I did, I would have never thought a man like him was you," Avalon growled at herself.

Before she could think of anything else she heard knocking above her head. She ran to the door in the ceiling and stared up at it. This close, she could hear voices now. She slapped a hand over her mouth and listened closely to the people above.

"I heard from Avalon's brother that they did their studies here. He told me it was in this mausoleum. I don't know what he meant though," came a strikingly familiar teenage girl's voice.

Another voice she recognized answered.

"I don't know, when did he tell you this? Are you sure he wasn't lying?"

"I'm sure. It was when I was over at Avalon's studying one time. I liked her brother and I guess he liked me, because he said that this place was a family secret."

Avalon growled. She closed her eyes and imagined herself at the top of the stairs to the mausoleum. She opened her eyes and she grinned at herself. She had done it right. She stared at the backs of two girls dressed in black. Avalon cleared her throat loudly and leaned against the wall next to her. She was careful to keep the dress from touching the dirty wall, but that didn't seem to matter once the girl's turned around.

Avalon straightened up and put a hand to her mouth in shock. Their names were Jackie and Leah. They looked almost the same as Heather, but with tanner skin and flatter hair. They'd been good friends of Avalon's, that was, before she started dating Jack.

"Avalon!" Jackie squeaked.

"So we weren't just going crazy when you came to school yesterday!" Leah breathed.

"Why are you here?" Avalon asked, having composed herself.

"We thought that it was a lovely place to eat. I guess we were wrong. We should probably go now," Jackie giggled nervously.

"I don't think so. I know why you're here. I can't believe my brother would have been so stupid. Unless you were lying. You always liked to lie, Jackie. You probably just overheard my parents talking about it," Avalon snapped.

"I swear I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted to see what was down here!" Jackie squealed.

Avalon smiled to herself. She didn't realize, but every second she was losing a little more of herself to her vampire side. She didn't notice as the pain started to seep back into her stomach. She did notice when their beating hearts drowned out their words. She could feel the pain now, and she knew what she had to do.

"So, which one of you wants to leave here?" Avalon asked, her voice deep and menacing.

"What?" Leah asked, confused.

"Leah, you were always the one to catch on to things last. I can see that Jackie already knows what I mean by that. Come to think of it, Jackie, you were the one who turned Heather against me. She was willing to forgive me for Jack, but you couldn't let it go. Leah, go ahead and go. I have something to discuss with Jackie in private," Avalon smiled down at them.

Jackie shrank back against the wall. Leah didn't move. Avalon locked eyes with the girl and pointed towards the door. Leah squealed and ran past her. Avalon waited for the door to slam before she started down the stairs towards Jackie.

Avalon woke up with blood crusting her mouth. She licked her lips and hissed at herself for it. She looked around and she was on the ground in the middle of a street that she knew from somewhere. She pulled herself to her feet and scratched the blood from her face with sharp fingernails. She looked around and realized she was in front of Kirima's club. It was sunset and people were watching her from windows of buildings.

Avalon stumbled in the door of the club and looked around. There were a few people there and Kirima sat behind the bar talking to Mercedes. She was directly behind Mercedes before Kirima noticed her. She put a hand to her mouth and jumped over the bar.

"What happened to you? You look like shit!" Kirima gasped.

Mercedes whirled around.

"Oh my goddess, you do look horrible. I like your dress though."

"Not helping, Mercedes," Kirima snapped.

Images flashed in her head and she smiled. She'd left Jackie on the property where her house used to stand. She was losing herself to the Night Walkers. Once she realized that she felt sick to her stomach. She hugged her arms around herself and scowled.

"What's wrong?" Kirima shook Avalon's shoulders.

"Nothing, I just don't feel well. I just got back from getting a drink. If you know what I mean." Avalon put on a cheap smile.

"Oh, so you killed someone else. Good for you," Mercedes smiled.

It didn't feel very good to Avalon though. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep so she didn't have to think anymore. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in bed at Edaniel's. She gave a small smile when she opened her eyes to find herself next to the bed.

Before she would even think about sleeping she had to puke. She closed her eyes once more, and when she opened them she was in the bathroom off the bedroom from the library she kept. She threw herself over the toilet in time for the red bile to spew from her mouth. As quickly as it began, it ended. She walked over to the sink and took a long drink of water straight from the faucet. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn't see the Avalon she'd once been. She was a monster.

With a quick thought she was back beside her bed in Edaniel's house. It looked much too big for her small body. She pulled the lacey veil aside and stared at the dark bedspread. She stripped from her dress and slid under the covers falling into darkness seconds later.


	6. 6 Screaming Memories

Avalon opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. She remembered what had brought her back to sleep. She hadn't been tired. She'd made herself sick and after puking her shame out, cured it with closed eyes. What she'd done hadn't been something the real Avalon would do. It wasn't something any Avalon would do. She thought about what she'd done. It felt good to her, but it didn't all the same. She felt ashamed of herself, but she couldn't help feeling accomplished. Her humanity was slipping away. She uncovered herself and stared down at her creamy colored skin that had paled since whenshe'd first been changed.

"You should probably put some clothes on," Edaniel stood with his back to her, staring out the window of her room.

Avalon instinctively covered herself up, but slid out of bed once positive Edaniel wouldn't turn around. She didn't want to know when he had entered the room, but she hoped he hadn't seen anything. She walked herself over to the armoire across the room from her bed. She pulled open one of the drawers bellow the doors and found panties and bras. She chuckled. Even these had designer tags on them. She quickly put on clothes and turned to face Edaniel.

She hurried over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her and his eyes went wide. She was wearing a black dress that had a split up the entirety of one side with red laces pulling it together till the thigh so only hints her skin shown through. The neck came down in a low "V" that pointed just below her navel. The edges of the neck were laced and matched the bra that crossed underneath. The dress just barely touched the floor. Avalon's pale feet peeked from under the end of the fabric.

"I like the dresses, even though I don't usually wear things like these," Avalon grinned.

Edaniel pulled himself together.

"I'm glad you like the things I picked out. Actually, I designed that many years ago."

"Really? It's so beautiful! I keep forgetting how old you really are!"

"So, are you up for going anywhere?"

"Where is there to go?"

"Tonight there's a town party in the wood surrounding our Goddess' statue. I was wondering if you'd like to go to that. I mean, I don't usually go, but we could have fun with Mercedes and Kirima."

Avalon clapped her hands. She wanted to go to a party. She knew many of the people there wouldn't like her very much, but as long as she had her few friend's she'd be okay. Killing another of her friends had brought her emotions to an all time low. A party would put her back in normal spirits.

…Avalon…

Avalon and Mercedes danced it up in the middle of the crowd. In the night, with lights flashing and music playing, everyone pressed together, uncaring of who Avalon was. Edaniel and Kirima stood in a small group outside talking with other people. Mercedes grabbed Avalon's hands and twirled her around for the hundredth time. She laughed and dipped Mercedes. Others grabbed them from behind, their bodies pulsing together to the music. If they knew who Avalon was they would have surely been pulling away from her. Her clothes were hot and she was beautiful and in the sea of faces no one cared so when she danced next to someone they danced with her.

"Let's go see how the other two are doing!" Mercedes yelled over the music.

Avalon nodded and they pushed their way out of the crowd. Kirima waved them over. When Avalon walked up the mood plummeted. Kirima growled.

"Get over it you guys. Stop dragging down the mood!"

"So, Avalon how is your first party?" Edaniel asked with curious eyes.

"It's been great! I mean seriously awesome! Are these a regular thing here?" Avalon asked grinning from ear to ear.

"If someone feels like partying they just spread the word. Somehow the music and lights get put together and random bands from the community are always willing to play. It never gets boring, and somehow it always works out," Kirima answered, swaying to the music.

"So, you're name's Avalon, right?" a girl with purple hair and dark skin asked.

"Yeah! That's me!" Avalon laughed.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Light. I was one of Jack's friends!" The girl reached out her hand to Avalon.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well!" Avalon shook her hand.

"I told you that there were friends here!" Kirima nudged Avalon.

"Let's go back in! Anyone want to come with us?" Mercedes asked looking around the group. Most of the people still didn't want to be anywhere close to Avalon.

"No, that's okay. You guys go ahead," Edaniel waved them off.

Mercedes shrugged and pulled Avalon away, back into the mass of Night Walkers. Before they got to the front they felt something warm and wet spray over them. The crowd went wild. Avalon looked down at herself and she could tell when the lights flashed and from the smell that it was blood that had washed over them all.

"Isn't this great?" Mercedes asked pulling her farther in.

"Won't this ruin my dress?" Avalon yelled.

"No, not if it's one of Edaniel's. His clothes are always good about blood. I don't know what he does to them, but it always comes out!" Mercedes shouted back.

They didn't talk anymore. Just pulsed with the music that seemed to surround them and rubbed against Night Walkers they had never met before. It wasn't something that phased Mercedes, but Avalon felt like she was being accepted a little more in the community. She grinned to herself and danced the night away. She didn't remember anything after that, just the dancing and there being more blood sprayed over them from the stage.

…Avalon…

Avalon woke up to heat. It wasn't just warmth, it was like fire. Burning flesh. She tried to get up but the heat kept her down. She flailed underneath it all, but she couldn't budge it. She wanted to scream but she didn't know if that would even help. She was about to give up when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Avalon, where are you? Avalon?" the voice called.

"I'm over here!" Avalon shouted.

She stared above her and scowled. It was blue, was she outside? What was the burning she felt? She couldn't look down because her head was caught, but she seemed to be placed outside. Before she knew it, there was a familiar face above her own. It was Edaniel.

"I've been looking for you for ages! Where have you been?" he scolded.

"Right here, I guess. Now would you please get whatever happens to be on me off, so I can stand up?" she asked, her voice level despite wanting to scream of the heat.

Edaniel sighed and started pulling things off of her. Moments later she could sit up. She was under people. Nightwalkers, actually, and a lot of them. She was in the middle of a crowd of Night Walkers. She looked around. The Goddess statue stood behind her. She realized she must have passed out there last night. She sighed to herself and rolled the last vampire from her legs and stood up. She brushed herself off and noticed she had been lying on someone as well.

"Where's Mercedes?" Avalon asked.

"She's probably already out of here. If not, we don't have to worry about her. She'll be okay." Edaniel smiled. "Which reminds me, you should have been able to move as well! Why didn't you get up?"

"It felt like I was paralyzed. It was so hot my body, I guess, didn't work like it should have."

"That would be because you were buried under people. Our skin is cold when it stands alone, but together it burns like the suns above us. That, however, if only kept together too long. You've been there for about eight hours."

"Are you serious? How could I have slept eight hours?"

Edaniel smiled and started leading Avalon through the bodies. There were at least a hundred, if not more, Night Walkers piled atop one another. Edaniel didn't answer her question as they walked, but waved to the other people they passed on their way out of the wood that surrounded them all.

"Why is the Goddess statue surrounded by these trees?" Avalon asked looking around as they passed through the trees back into the middle of the city.

"You mean the Sacred Wood? One would think you'd know that since you're a researcher. Morcherry, in the Sacred Book, tells of her own special Paradise. I'm sure you know the legends; when Night Walkers pass on Morcherry grants them their own Paradise or their own Suffering. Well, her Paradise is told to be a forest bigger and greater than any on our Earth. That is why her statue is surrounded by what we like to call the Sacred Wood. Any well respected NW city has something similar. Hell, any self respecting NW city wouldn't be caught dead without it." Edaniel explained.

By they time he'd gotten out his explanation, they were back at his mansion. It still amazed Avalon that someone as "young" as Edaniel could have such great tastes and such sophisticated designing skills. As she entered the house behind him, she froze. There were two men standing halfway up the main staircase talking. One of the men she didn't recognize, but the other she quickly scolded herself for mistaking as the one she loved.

Marcus and the other man turned and bowed as Edaniel entered the structure. Marcus didn't even glance in Avalon's direction as he followed the unidentified man down the stairs to properly bow to the owner of the household. Both fell to one knee and waited for Edaniel to gesture for them to stand before they turned and nodded politely to Avalon as well. Marcus looked pained to complete this gesture, but with the look Edaniel gave him he wouldn't dare disobey. Avalon nodded back.

"Avalon!" Edaniel shook her arm.

Apparently she'd missed him talking to her. She turned to stare at Edaniel.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"If you'd go change and then meet me in the dining room, we can eat before going to see Kirima," Edaniel smiled innocently up at her.

She couldn't help but grin back despite how uneasy she felt.

"Alright! I'm not sure where the dining room is though."

"It's alright, I'm sure you'll be able to find it," Edaniel had already turned his attention to the men in front of them.

Avalon sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them and grinned at a job well done. She was in her room in front of her armoire. She tugged off the dress she had on and looked at it. She hadn't realized it, but she must have looked like a hobo next to Edaniel. There were stains just visible on the black material and dirt was crusted in places she hadn't realized even touched the ground.

She pulled one of the armoire doors open and stared into the mirror on the other side. Her hair looked like a rat's nest and her creamy skin was blotched with red stains she could only assume were blood. She scowled at herself. She wasn't even sure where a bathroom was in the mansion. She'd never asked. She wondered how she was supposed to clean her face. Then she realized her face didn't even matter. She wasn't sure how many, but it had been days since she'd last taken a shower.

She cursed at herself and tried to think of what she was going to do. She turned and looked over at the bed she called her own now. The bag she'd brought from school sat at the foot of it. She forgot about her clothes and crossed the room to the bag. She dropped to the floor and pulled the bag into her lap. She dug out the photos that she'd kept in her locker.

Jack's face stared back at her. Jack's pale, smiling, carefree face. Avalon flipped through the pictures and one fell from the small stack onto the floor beside her. She picked it up and grinned. It was Jack and her sitting on a bed, smiling as they kissed each other, Jack holding up the camera beside them. It had been taken right after he'd found her skipping school one day. She'd been crying and when he'd found her she couldn't help but smile because of the sweet words he'd said to her. Those words were long forgotten, but she remembered how he took the camera out of his pocket and demanded they take a picture together. It was in the room next to the secret library her family kept.

She realized she was crying the moment a tear hit the pictures in her hand. She snapped back to the present and stood up, dropping the pictures and stumbling backwards. She wasn't just crying; she could hear herself now. Sobs were ripping from her chest and screams filled her ears. She closed her eyes tight and fell to the ground, curling herself into a ball.

Avalon held her ears with her hands trying to keep out the sounds but it wasn't working. She couldn't stop it no matter how much she tried to, it just wasn't working. She opened her eyes and everything stopped. She wasn't in the room Edaniel had given her, but she was in a smaller room. A room that housed only a bed and a small dresser. She felt the tears stop and she could no longer hear the screams she could before. With strength she hadn't thought she possessed, she pulled herself to her feet.

Everything around Avalon seemed to be spinning out of control. She wobbled around for a second before pulling herself together. She could see Jack in her head; hear his words in her ears. It was all too real. The pictures had brought back memories she had tried to hard to block out. They were of happy times, but they didn't bring the feelings of joy they once had. Jack's demise had made every single happy moment they'd spent together seem like a nightmare. She lifted her head to look into the bathroom in front of her.

She smiled weakly to herself, "I guess I can take a shower now."

Avalon moved slowly to the bathroom and pulled off her underwear and bra. She turned on what she hoped was the hot water and stepped into the warming mist. The water got hot, it got very hot. She remembered her mother telling her that she had to always balance hot and cold. That was when she was five. She just scowled to herself and let the water get as hot as it wanted. She scrubbed shampoo through her hair and rinsed it out, doing the same with conditioner. She felt her body trying to inch away from the heat, but she wouldn't let it. She just picked up the body wash and her puff and started scrubbing at her face and body.

The soap burned her eyes, and she rubbed herself in places till her skin started to bleed. She felt the tiny wounds healing over and over again as she created more and more. When her hands grew tired, she rinsed the puff and threw it back where it belonged before reluctantly turning off the hot water and stepping out of the shower.

Avalon ripped her brush through her hair and didn't even bother to dry off. She took one look in the mirror and turned to puke. Only acid came from her stomach. She'd already thrown up what her body hadn't absorbed of Jackie. Without a second though she flushed the toilet and brushed her teeth. Next, she headed back to the bedroom.

Still wet she pulled on a long-sleeved black shirt and black sweat pants with flat high-topped sneakers. She sighed when it was all done. She had nothing else to do and had promised Edaniel she would join him for dinner. She still didn't know where the dining room was.

When she thought about it, she really didn't have to know. Jack had told her once that he could find her because all he had to do was think of her and she'd be right in front of him. She didn't feel any pain at this memory and she was positive she wasn't crying. When she remembered her episode from before she cringed. It was because she'd held most of it in and when she'd started to let it out as a human, she'd been silenced. Even as a Night Walker she'd been put to sleep when she started to let out her pain.

She shook it all off, closed her eyes, and thought of the smiling, little Edaniel. She opened her eyes and was proud to see Edaniel was in front of her with his back to her. He was talking to the same man who'd bowed when they came in the door earlier that day. Avalon looked around the room and was shocked to see about forty people surrounding her. That, and they all stared in her direction.

It took the man Edaniel was talking to a second to see Avalon, but when he did, he stopped saying what he had been and couldn't look away from her. Edaniel turned around with a questioning look on his face but put on a beaming smile as he caught sight of her, "I didn't think you'd make it. I was so frightened when I heard screaming coming from the wing you were staying in. When I came to check on you I was shocked to find no one was in the room."

"I'm sorry, I found some pictures of Jack, and I don't know what came over me," Avalon apologized, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Oh, it's alright. You've showered I see, and just look at what you're wearing," Edaniel grinned. "It's really you. I like it. Don't you like it Jason?"

Jason, the man Edaniel had been talking to, was speechless. Everyone else in the room seemed to be having the same problem. Avalon realized all the other people in the room wore suits and dresses that cost more than all of what she wore by thousands of dollars.

"I didn't dress appropriately. I'm sorry about that too, Edaniel," Avalon apologized again.

"Don't be, Love! It reminds me of the first day I met you. Even though it hasn't been very long since then, it makes for a joyful memory," Edaniel kept the same innocent grin on his face that Avalon had found there often.

She laughed, "So, when do we eat and what's on the menu?"

…Avalon…

"Welcome you two! Oh, Avalon, I see you're sporting your old look again. It suits you better than those dresses you've worn the last couple days," Kirima greeted Avalon and Edaniel as they walked into the club.

"That's what I told her!" Edaniel chuckled.

Avalon didn't say anything, only took a seat next to Mercedes, who seemed to be permanently attached to Kirima. Mercedes took in Avalon's clothes and scowled, "I can understand you wanting to make a statement, but like that? I don't wear dresses, but I don't wear beggar clothes either."

Avalon didn't know what happened in the next moment, but she was being pulled backwards by a shouting Kirima. Avalon found her hands reaching to grasp Mercedes throat, like they had been before she'd been disturbed. Edaniel helped Mercedes to her feet.

"What the hell?" Mercedes shrieked.

Avalon dropped her hands and shook her head. She hadn't realized she'd attacked Mercedes. Edaniel let go of Mercedes arm and stared laughing. Kirima smirked, but kept it secret behind Avalon's head. She let Avalon go and hopped back over the bar once more.

"That's our girl! Mercedes just got taken down by a newborn!" Edaniel threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"What are you two laughing about? This isn't funny! She attacked me for absolutely no reason!" Mercedes snarled.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me! I really didn't mean to attack you like that! I was just that I didn't think that was a very appropriate thing to say to me," Avalon apologized.

"What did I say to make you tackle me to the ground with your hands around my neck?" she huffed.

"You insulted her clothing. Those clothes were owned by her family members. They probably mean the world to her. Am I right?" Kirima glanced in Avalon's direction.

She nodded.

"How did you k now that though?"

"Took a wild guess," Kirima grinned.

Mercedes sighed.

"I'm sorry. Should have thought about it before I said it."

The girls sat down at the bar again. They grinned at each other before Mercedes ordered them something. Kirima got on it while Edaniel took his seat next to Avalon. Kirima set two bright red drinks down in front of them.

"So, what's this?" Avalon asked.

"It's called a Screamer. Every blood type mixed with vodka and rum. Try it! You'll like it." Mercedes picked up her drink and threw it back before Avalon even reached for hers.

Avalon sighed and stared at it for a few seconds before she picked it up and sipped it. She spit it out and Kirima frowned, "What's wrong with it?"

"I've never really had anything with very much alcohol in it. I drank things like wine a lot of the time…." Avalon stared down at the drink.

Kirima giggled.

"The trick is to drink it in one gulp. I thought you'd know something like that. You are a teenager after all. Plus, didn't you watch Mercedes? It's in shot form for a reason."

Avalon felt like a fool, but she picked up the drink and gulped it down. It burned her throat and left a tingle in her stomach. It didn't taste as bad all in one though. She slammed the glass down on the counter and breathed.

"That's my girl!"

Edaniel patted Avalon's back.

…Avalon…

Edaniel led Avalon into his household, keeping a tight arm around her waist, "Avalon, can you get to bed alright? You shouldn't have been stupid enough to drink so much."

"She said she could drink more," Avalon laughed.

She didn't like the taste of alcohol, but after she had a few shots, Mercedes' challenge seemed to be one she couldn't lose. She left dizzy, but not like she was going to throw up. She figured that was a good thing. She removed Edaniel's hands from her waist and swayed slightly, "I can get to bed. Don't worry."

Avalon closed her eyes and when she opened them she was glad to find herself falling onto her bedroom floor. At least she'd made it to her room. She got to her knees and stripped off the shirt she wore, pulled off her pants and crawled across the floor. She was about to crawl into her bed when she saw something out of the ordinary.

She turned and fell onto her back. Even in her intoxication she realized she was in trouble. Because who was in front of her wasn't someone she should be caught alone with. Marcus grinned down at her from the foot of her bed.


End file.
